Brick cleaning and refacing machine.



0. VAN DER MEERSCH.

BRICK CLEANING AND REFACING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1913.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

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WITNESSES 11v VENTOR THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-L!THO WASHINGTON, D. C.

0. VAN DER MEERSCH.

BRICK CLEANING AND REFACING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1913- Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

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INVENTOR THE NORRIS PETERS 60., P HOTQLITHOH WASHINGTON. D. c.

oscnn van nan MnnnsoI-I, or RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

BRICK CLEANING AND REFACING MACHINE.

manner.

Application filed June 7, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR VAN DER MEEnsoII, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brick Cleaning and Refacing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a machine for cleaning, facing and reshaping old or new bricks.

The invention has for its object to provide a machine of this character having a plurality of cleaning devices and means also for automatically conveying and turning. the bricks so that each side thereof will be presented to the cleaning devices for cleaning.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of the complete brick cleaning machine, Fig. 2 represents a detail sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 represents a detail sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1, Fig; 1 represents a detail sectional view on the line H of Fig. 1, and, Fig. 5 represents a side elevation of a facing wheel.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 5 indicates a frame structure of suitable construction to support the various parts of the machine .to be hereinafter described. A table 6 is fixed in the frame and is constructed substantially L-shape, the short portion 7 thereof being disposed in a plane lower than the plane of the main portion 6 thereof.

The operable parts of the machine are adapted to be driven by a suitable motor 8, which is connected with the main shaft 9 of the machine, a suitable clutch device 10 being interposed between the engine shaft and main shaft 9. A pulley 11 is afiixed to the'main shaft 9, and an endless belt 12 is adapted to be driven thereby. The endless belt 12 travels over a series of pulleys to drive the grinding or cleaning devices to be hereinafter clearly described.

At the free end of the main table 6 is rotatably mounted a shaft 13 carrying a sprocket wheel, over which is adapted to travel a sprocket chain or endless conveyer Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915. Serial No. 772.230.

14 carrying a plurality of blades or paddles 15. The chain 14; extends from the free end of the main portion 6 of the table to a point adjacent to the other portion 7 of the table, where there is located a second sprocket wheel over which it travels. A pair of receiving and centering guides 16 are mounted over the table 6 adjacent the free end thereof and are arranged parallel with the conveyer 14:. The upper edges of the guides 16 are turned in opposite directions, and are provided with lateral extensions 17, which work between a series of roller bearings 18 and are engaged at their free extremities by suitable springs 19 for normally holding the guides together. The tension of each of the springs 19 is necessarily the same in order that a brick inserted between said guides will be automatically centered upon the chain or conveyer I l for engagement and conveyance by one of the blades 15 thereof.

A frame 20 is secured over the main por tion 6 of the table,

adjacent the guides 16,

.and provides a support for a pair of adjustable bearing members 21 disposed therein. Anadjusting screw 22 is swiveled in a vertical portion of each bearing member 21 to permit said screws to be turned to accomplish the desired adjustment of the members21t Lock nuts 23 are also threaded on the screws 22 for securing the bearing members 21 in adjusted position. A shaft 24B is rotatably mounted in each bearing member 21 and carries at its upper end a fixed pulley 25, over which is adapted to travel the endless belt 12. Adjacent the lower ends of the shaft 24 are fixed grinding or cleaning wheels 26 which may be formed of a suitable material such as carborundum or high carbon steel. Adjacent the opposite end of the main portion 6 of the table is secured a second frame 27, similar in construction to the frame 20, and receiving a pair of bearing members 28 also carrying shafts and pulleys 80 and 31 respectively, adapted to be driven by the endless belt 12 traveling thereover. The cleaning wheels .82 carried by the shafts 30 are arranged upon opposite sides of the conveyer 14-, but are spaced apart a greater distance than the pair of wheels 26, for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

The main shaft 9 drives a train of gears 33 adapted to reduce the speed from the main shaft to another shaft 34 carrying a suitable sprocket wheel adapted to drive an endless conveyer 36. having a plurality of paddles or blades 37'. The opposite end of the conveyer 36 is adapted towork over a second sprocket wheel fixed upon a shaft 38 carrying a bevel gear 39 meshing with a second bevel gear 40 carried by the shaft on which is fixed the sprocket wheel, over which travels one portion of the endless conveyer 14. It will be understood that the table is suitably slotted to receive the conveyers 14 and 36, and obviously, the sprocket wheels and shafts driving such conveyers are located below said table. A shaft 41 is rotatably mounted between the frames 20 and 27 and is adapted to be driven from the shaft 38 by a suitable power transmission device 42. A pair of sprocket wheels 44 are fixed on the shaft 41 adjacent the-frame 20 and receive .a pair of spaced sprocket chains 45 connected by paddles 46. The opposite ends of the chains 45 are mounted over a pair of sprocket wheels 47 fixed on a shaft 48 suitably journaled in the frame 5. A reciprocablebar 49 is slidably mounted over the table. 6 and under the strap 50, and connects at one end to a link 51 and carries at its opposite end an arm 52. The free end of the link 51 is pivoted to a lever 53, which is also pivoted in a bracket 54 carried by the frame 5. Arms 55 are fixed between the sprocket wheels 44 and carry at their free ends rollers 56 adapted to engage the freeupper end of the lever 53. The free end of the'bar 49 is adapted to work over the conveyer 14, when themachine is operated, and it is normally held outwardly from said chain by a spring 57.

The speed of the chains 45 is so regulated with respect to the conveyer 14 that one of the blades 46 between said chains will cross the path of the conveyer between each of the blades 15 thereof, and the rollers 56 are so arranged that the lever 53 and bar 49 will be actuated twice during the passage of one of the blades 46 across the'path of the conveyer14.

As before stated, one portion 7 of the table is disposed in a lower plane than the main portion 6 thereof, and at the intersection of the parts of said table is a short incline 58, down which the bricks are adapted to slide after leaving the conveyer 14. A resilient guide bar 59 is secured to the short portion 7 of the table in the path of the bricks leaving the conveyer 14 for stopping and guiding them.

The conveyer 36 travels between a pair of cleaning wheels 60, mounted in a frame 61 similarly to the mounting of the wheels hereinbefore described. The third set of wheels are adapted to be driven by the endless belt '12 which latter may be conveniently adjusted by an adjustable idler 62. A pair of resilient retaining arms 63 are fixed under the frame 61 for guiding the bricks and retaining them upon the table.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The brick to be cleaned is dropped by the operator, side downward, between the guides 16, which accurately and automatically centers the brick on the conveyer 14. The brick is moved along the main portion 6 of thetable by the conveyer 14 and between the first set of cleaning wheels 26 which thoroughly clean it upon the top and bottom. As the brick leaves wheels 26 and crosses the path of the pair of chains 45 it is first struck by the arm 52 of the bar 49 and moved ofl the center of the chain or conveyer 14, as shown in Fig. 2. Immediately thereafter one of the blades 46 engages the opposite side of the brick and turns it over or upsets it upon its bottom, or one of the faces which has been cleaned by the wheels 26. After the brick is upset it is again struck by the arm 52 and again centered upon the conveyer 14 with its top uppermost. I

Traveling with the conveyer 14 the brick is next cleaned upon its sides by the second pair of wheels 32, which as hereinbefore stated, are arranged a greater distance apart than the first set'of wheels 26, and leaving the conveyer 14 at its end the brick slides down the incline 58, engages the guide and stop 59 and is caught by one of the blades 37 of the conveyer 36 and moved in the transverse direction from the path which it has just left. The conveyer 36 carries the brick between the third set of wheels 60, which clean its ends, and thus the brick isthoroughly and quickly cleaned upon all sides.

When it is desired to reface one of the surfaces of a brick, the facing wheel 65, shown in Fig. 5, is substituted for one of the cleaning wheels, and it is obvious that said facing wheel may replace any one of the cleaning wheels in the third set, and in this way one or all desired faces of the brick may be faced.

What I claim as new is:

1. In combination with a brick cleaning machine having a table and an endless conveyer working in said table, blades upon said conveyer for advancing the bricks, brick receiving members arranged on opposite sides of the blades of said conveyer, and resilient means normally tending to move'said receiving members together for centering the bricks upon said conveyer.

2. In combination with a brick cleaning machine having a table and endless conveyers working thereon, and a spring actuated 'bar on said table adapted to stop bricks 1,135,127 tilt scribed comprising a frame, a table therein, a plurality of vertically disposed rotatable cleaning devices arranged in pairs above said table, endless conveyers working in said table, blades upon said conveyers traveling between the respective pairs of cleaning devices, brick receiving members arranged upon said table on opposite sides of said conveyer blades and movable transversely and inwardly toward the latter, resilient means normally tending to move said receiving members together for retaining the bricks upon the table in the path of movement of said blades until removed by the latter, and a spring actuated bar on said table cooperating with said conveyors adapted to stop bricks leaving one of said conveyers and guide them upon the other conveyer for directing the bricks to the final pair of cleaning devices.

4. In a machine of the character described, a table, an endless conveyer working in said table, a chain traveling above and at right angles to said conveyer and means carried by said chain adapted to engage and overturn objects carried by said conveyer.

5. In a machine of the character described, a table, a conveyer Working therein, a chain traveling above and at right an gles to said conveyer, means carried by said chain for engaging and overturning objects carried by said conveyer, and means adapted to center an object upon the conveyer, subsequently to overturning the same.

6. In a machine of the character described, a table, a conveyer working there in, a chain traveling above and at right angles to said conveyer, brick engaging means carried by said chain, brick centering means, and operable connections between said centering means and said chain.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

OSCAR VAN DER MEERSCH.

Witnesses:

S. W. COCKRELL, A. TosH, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing' the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. G. 

